| Seven Years in Tibet | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Heinrich Harrer |
| Original title | Sieben Jahre in Tibet. Mein Leben am Hofe des Dalai Lama |
| Genre(s) | Travel literature |
| Publisher | Various |
| Publication date | 1952 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
Seven Years in Tibet (German: Sieben Jahre in Tibet. Mein Leben am Hofe des Dalai Lama) is an autobiographical travel book written by Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer based on his real life experiences in Tibet between 1944 and 1951 during the Second World War and the interim period before the Communist Chinese People's Liberation Army invaded Tibet in 1950.
The book covers the escape of Harrer, and his companion Peter Aufschnaiter, from a British internment camp in India. Harrer and Aufschnaiter then travelled across Tibet to Lhasa, the capital. Here they spent several years, and Harrer describes the contemporary Tibetan culture in detail. Harrer subsequently became a tutor and friend of the 14th Dalai Lama.
The book shows the difference between the way Harrer thinks of the 14th Dalai Lama and the way the country of Tibet sees the 14th Dalai Lama.
Seven Years in Tibet was translated into 53 languages, became a bestseller in the United States in 1954, and sold three million copies.[1]
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At the beginning of the Flamingo edition of the book a message from the Dalai Lama praises the work: "Harrer has always been such a friend to Tibet. His most important contribution to our cause, his book, Seven Years in Tibet introduced hundreds of thousands of people to my country."
Two films have been based on the book: one in 1956, Seven Years in Tibet (1956 film), a 76-minute documentary directed by Hans Nieter which included both movies taken by Harrer during his stay in Tibet and various scenes from his adventures reconstructed by Harrer himself; and Seven Years in Tibet (1997 film), directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud starring Brad Pitt and David Thewlis.
There is also a David Bowie song entitled "Seven Years in Tibet", from his album Earthling.